Abstract: This collection contains photographs by commercial photographers dated ca. 1890-1910, illustrating recreation and scenery
on Catalina Island, a hotel and public parks in Southern California, and various historical sites and street scenes in Mexico
City. Many of the photographs include tourists and local residents, such as bathers on Catalina Island, and people in parks
and towns.

Language of Material: English

Access

Access is granted to qualified researchers and by appointment. Please contact the Curator of Photographs at the Huntington
Library.

Publication Rights

All requests for permission to publish photographs must be submitted in writing to the Curator of Photographs. Permission
for publication is given on behalf of the Huntington as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or
imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained.

Charles Betts Waite was born December 19, 1861 in Auburn Township, Ohio. He first delved into photography when he was in his
late twenties, working as a view photographer for Burdick and Company in Los Angeles. Over time, Waite became known for his
work as a landscape photographer with his own studio.
After marrying at the age of thirty-five, Waite moved to Mexico City and established a photography studio there, specializing
in views of the city. He became associated with the Sonora News Company and contracted with them to take photographs of Mexico’s
indigenous people and more out-of-the-way areas for travel magazines and books, and tourist postal cards.
Waite lived in Mexico for almost 27 years before returning to Los Angeles in 1923. He died there on March 22, 1927.

Scope and Content of Collection

Photographs of Catalina Island include views of Avalon, Sugarloaf Point, sailboats and glass-bottom boats, steamships, bathers
at the beach, a tent city, and sailors of the steamship the “San Diego”.
California views include Missions San Gabriel, San Fernando, and San Juan Capistrano; the Coronado Hotel in San Diego; Central
Park, St. James Park, and Hollenbeck Park (all based in Los Angeles); Adams Street in Los Angeles; the Shakespearean actress
Helena [Madame] Modjeska’s home in Orange County; and an interior view of Columbia Savings Bank’s then president Aaron M.
Ozum’s residence at 3131 Figueroa Street, Los Angeles.
Photographs of Mexico depict the Cathedral de Mexico, Paseo de la Reforma, interiors and exteriors of Castillo de Chapultepec,
Hotel Iturbide, Mercado Volador, Canal de la Viga, the daily lives of Mexican citizens, the Zócalo (now known as the Plaza
de la Constitución), and various street scenes.
There are 12 miscellaneous photographs (102-114), in small square or circular format, mounted on board, that appear to be
among the oldest here. They show cargo ships at shipping docks (one identified "McNab & Smith Draying") possibly in San Francisco,
a steamship, and gardens. C. B. Waite photographed 19 of the 114 prints in this collection. Other photographers who contributed
to this collection are Charles F. Ironmonger, Frank L. Park, Percy Cox and R. J. Carmichael, J. C. Hatton Noren F. Swenson,
and the Special View Company.
Two photographers were identified on some photographs only by their surnames: Graham and Scott.